Collapsible self-returning handle with hideaway linkage

ABSTRACT

A collapsible self-returning handle for carrying cases, portable television and radios, electronic test equipment and the like in which the elongated handgrip is operatively connected to the wall of the carrying case by links equipped with rolling pins so that the raising and lowering action is smooth and relatively noiseless, and in the collapsed position in with the lower edges of the handgrip are against or adjacent the attaching wall, the attaching brackets and links are received in hide-away recesses.

United States Patent 1191 Szabo [451 May 7,1974

[ COLLAPSIBLE SELF-RETURNING HANDLE WITH HIDEAWAY LINKAGE [75] Inventor: Marton J. Szabo, Camden, NJ.

[73] Assignee: Philadelphia Handle Company, Inc.,

Camden, NJ.

[22] Filed: July 26, 1973 [2]] Appl. No.: 383,011

52 US. c|... 16/115, 190/58 51 Int. Cl A47b 95/02 [58 Field of Search 16/115; 190/57, 58

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,723,417 11 1955 Furholmenm, 16/115 3,699,612 l0/l972 l-lanley 3,438,467 4/1969 Milette et al. 16/115 2/l969 Szabo 16/1'15 3/1968 Fujioka et al 16/ 15 Primary Examiner-Bobby R. Gay Assistant Examiner-Doris L. Troutman Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Max R. Millman [5 7] ABSTRACT A collapsible self-returning handle for carrying cases, portable television and radios, electronic test equipment and the like in which the elongated handgrip is operatively connected to the wall of the carrying case by links equipped with rolling pins so that the raising and lowering action is smooth and relatively noiseless, and in the collapsed position in with the lower edges of the handgrip are against or adjacent the attaching wall, the attaching brackets and links are received in hide-away recesses,

13 Claims, 13 Drawing Figures This invention relates to a collapsible self-returning handle for carrying cases, portable radios, television sets, electronic test equipment and the like and constitutes an improvement over US. Pat. Nos. 3,340,971 and 3,431,586.

In the US. Pat. No. 3,431,586, l-shaped links are used, each shank of which extends through a slot in the handgrip portion and has an upper cross head which slides longitudinally in a recess above the slot from one end thereof to the other in the raising and lowering operation of the handle. The lower cross head of the link is transversely slotted to receive the curved portion of a bracket which is secured to the carrying case wall and about which the link rotates. In the U.S. Pat. No. 3,340,971 handle a similar action is provided but each link is in the form of a rectangular ring, the upper end of which slides in a guide. The raising and lowering actions of these handles are effective but create frictional wear and are noisy at times.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a collapsible handle in which a rolling action is used when the handle is raised and lowered, thus decreasing frictional wear and unnecessary noise in the operation thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a collapsible self-returning handle of relatively simple and economical design which is smooth and relatively noiseless in operation and which cannot overturn in the raised position when the handgrip is shifted longitudinally of the case.

Another object of the invention is to provide a handle of the character described in which the attaching brackets for the links and the handgrip can interengage, if the weight of the handle shifts, to guide the brackets into the hideaway recesses as the handle collapses.

These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent as the following description proceeds in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the handle shown being held in its raised position;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing the handle in its collapsed position;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 33 of FIG. 2 of the collapsed position of the handle;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 of the raised position of the handle;

FIG. 5 is'a fragmentary top plan view of the handgrip portion without the top or cover;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 66 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a bottom plan view of the handgrip without the top or cover;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary side view of the top or cover per se;

FIG. 9 is a bottom plan view of the top or cover;

FIG. 13 is an end view of the link-attaching bracket.

Specific reference is now made to the drawings in which similar reference characters are used for corresponding elements throughout.

The handle construction essentially comprises four main parts, namely the body portion of the handgrip, see FIGS. 5-7, the top or cover l2for the body portion, see FIGS. 8 and 9, brackets 14 attached to the wall of a'carrying case, portable television, radio, electronic test equipment and the like, see FIGS. 12 and 13, and links 16 operatively interconnecting the handgrip and the bracket 14, see FIGS. 1-4.

The body portion 10 of the handgrip is preferably molded of a suitable plastic and includes downwardly diverging tapered ends 18 and 20, a peripheral edge 22 which is elevated by a predetermined distance above a ledge. The central portion 24 has a bottom face 26 which is indented to accommodate the fingers when gripping the handle, and the central portion is preferably hollow and provided with spaced ribs 28 extending between the bottom face and upper ledge for reinforcement purposes.

The body portion 10 of the handgrip is so molded that the ledge has portions 30 and 32 which are in the same plane as the central ledge portion 25, which extend only part way towards the center of the handgrip and in the other direction up to the tapered ends 18 and 20. Below each of said end ledges 30 and 32 are recesses 34 and 36 which open through the bottom of the handgrip, the walls of each of said recesses constituting the tapered end walls 18 or 20, the opposite side portions 38 and 40 of the handgrip body portion 10 on both sides of the central portion thereof and the end ledges 30 and 32, the lower edges 42 of the side portions 38 and 40 being in the same plane as the lower edges 44 of the tapered portions 18 and 20.

Beyond the end ledges 30 and 32, and up to the central portion 24 thereof, the body portion 10 is formed FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken on the line l0l0 v and with an indented substantially rectangular wall having a vertical peripheral portion 46 which is continuous with. a horizontally extending bottom wall 48 thereby forming a recess 50 which opens through the ledge as at 52 opposite to the bottom opening adjacent recess 34. Where the peripheral wall portion 46 meets the bottom wall 48 to form the recess 50, the comers are rounded. The bottom walls 48 of the recesses 50 are below the end ledges 30 and 32 forming the top of the recesses 34 and 36.

Extending centrally and longitudinally through the bottom wall 48 and through that portion of the rectangular wall 46 adjacent the ends of the handle is a slot 54 which terminates at its ends in inner and outer notches 56 and 58 respectively.

The links 16 are preferably made of metal and include a shank 60, the shank passing through the slot 54 edgewise so that the slot 54 can be made narrow to prevent accidental loss of any internal components. The upper or inner end edge of the link is rounded for its entire periphery as at 62 whereas its lower inner or opposite end edge includes a partial rounded portion 64 continuous with a straight portion 66, thereby ending in an angulated, preferably right-angulated, corner 68.

Adjacent the upper or inner end of the link an aperture is provided through which a pin 72 extends rotatably, the length of the pin approximating the width of the top-opening recess 50 and bearing rollably on the inner surface of the bottom wall 48 of the recess 50.

The bracket or hardware 14 comprises a metallic member having a flat bottom surface 72 which bears against a carrying case wall 74 and includes a shank 76 which extends through the wall and is there suitably secured by a nut and washer 78or other suitable means. The top of the bracket is rounded as at 80 and the sides 82 and 84 taper outwardly, the outer sides 82 having the same inclination as those of the end wall 18 and of the handgrip. A slot 86 is cut vertically into the bracket and opens through the top thereof as at 88 through which the lower or outer end of the link passes. -The bottom wall of the slot 86 includes a partial curved portion 90 which is continuous with a straight portion 92 that ends in an angulated corner 94, the curved and straight portions and angled corner coinciding with the lower or outer end edge portions 64, 66 and 68 of the link. A pin 96 is fixedly retained by the bracket and extends through an aperture 98 in the link so that at the lower or outer end the link rotates about the pin 96.

The top or cover 12 is a substantially rectangular molded plastic member which is coextensive with the indented ledge of the body portion 10 of the handgrip and fits therein as shown clearly in FIGS. 14 up to the peripheral edge 22. The top surface 100 of the cover is flat and decorated suitably to conform with the handle or carrying case, as desired. Extending from the bottom face of the cover at predetermined points inwardly of the ends thereof are a pair of spaced projections 102, 104 and 106, 108. When the cover is placed in position on the body member and welded in place, using welding ribs and bosses as is common in the art, the ledges 102, 104 enter the recess 50 of the body portion adjacent one end of the handle and the ledges 106,108 enter the recess 50 of the body portion adjacent the other end of the handle, and as shown in FlGS. 3 and 4, the lower edges 110 thereof lie closely adjacent but somewhat spaced from the rolling pins 70 of the links.

In use, after the handle is assembled and mounted on the wall of a carrying case, it is gripped centrally and pulled up to the raised position, which action is smooth and virtually noiseless as the pins 70 associated with each link roll on the inner face of the bottom wall 48 of recess 50 and are guided and kept substantially against the wall by the projections 102-108. The pins roll from the inner corner 112 of the recess 50 to the outer corner 114 thereof as seen in FIG. 4. At its fully raised position, the angulated corner 68 at the lower end of each link abut the corresponding angulated corner 94 of the attaching bracket. No accidental longitudinal movement of the handgrip relative to the carrying case can therefore overturn the handle. When the handle is released it falls by gravity to the collapsed position wherein the attaching brackets enter into the recesses 34 and 36 and are hidden from view by the side and end walls of the handgrip as seen in FIGS. 2 and 3. In this position the pins 70 roll from comer 112 to corner 114 and the links assume substantially horizontal positions. In the collapsed position, the upper or inner rounded edge 62 of the link extends into the inner notch 56 whereas in the raised position the other or outer end edge 64 extends into the notch 58. Should the weight on the handle be uneven when the handle is released, the inner surface of one end portion 18 of the handgrip will contact the outer face 82 of the attaching bracket, which is of the same inclination, and thereby guide the handgrip to its fully collapsed position with its lower edge contacting or being closely adjacent the wall of the carrying case.

The handle is designed to sustain a load of about 600 lbs. Hence, links of predetermined thickness are required, and often the fabrication of such links is less economical than the fabrication of links of half such thickness. It is within the purview of the invention to use two or more links face to face instead of a single thickness link, in which case the faces of the multiple links will be separated by thin sound-absorbing material such as plastic, fibrous materials, which can also be placed on the outside of the links around the pins 70. Additionally, the handle may be made with a recess between the peripheral edge 22 and the top surface of the cover.

While a preferred embodiment has here been shown and described, it will be understood that minor variations may be made by a skilled artisan without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A collapsible self-returning handle comprising an elongated handgrip having upper and lower faces, a first set of recesses adjacent the ends of the handgrip opening through the bottom face each having an upper wall portion, a second set of recesses adjacent the first recesses opening upwardly each including a bottom wall below the upper wall portion of the first set of recesses, longitudinal slots through the bottom wall of each of the second set of recesses, a pair of brackets secured to an attaching wall, elongated links having inner and outer ends, the outer ends being pivoted to the brackets around a horizontal axis, the inner ends extending through the longitudinal slots, rollable means carried by the inner ends of said links bearing on the inner faces of the bottom walls of the second set of recesses, and means in said second set of recesses above said rollable means to guide said rollable means so that, when the handgrip is raised, the rollable means will be adjacent the inner ends of the second set of recesses and, when the handgrip is lowered to its fully collapsed position, the rollable means will be adjacent the outer ends of the second set of recesses and the brackets and links will be received and hidden in the first set of recesses.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said rollable means is a pin extending rotatably through each link adjacent its inner end.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein the length of the pin approximates the width of each recess of the second set of recesses.

4. The combination of claim 2 wherein said guide means includes longitudinal projections extending into each recess of said second set of recesses whose length approximates the length of the recess.

5. The combination of claim 1 and means to prevent the handgrip from overturning in its raised position.

6. The combination of claim 5 wherein said means to prevent overturn includes an end edge at the outer end of each link including a rounded portion continuous with a straight portion which terminates in an angulated corner, each bracket including a vertical slot opening through the top thereof whose bottom wall conforms to the shape of the end edge of the outer end of the link, and a pin extending across the slot and rotatably through the link adjacent its outer end so that in the fully raised position of the handgrip the angulated corners of the end edge of the link and the bottom wall of the bracket slot abut and prevent further outward movement of the link.

7. The combination of claim 1 wherein the ends of the longitudinal slots extend beyond each recess of the second set of recesses to form notches into which the inner ends of the link extend respectively in the raised and collapsed positions of the handgrip. 1

8. A collapsible self-returning handle comprising an elongated handgrip having upper and lower faces, an upwardly opening recess formed therein spaced from each end of the handgrip having a generally vertical peripheral wall and a bottom wall, a longitudinal slot in the bottom wall, brackets secured to an attaching wall, links having inner and outer ends, the outer ends being pivoted to the brackets about horizontal axes, the links extending through the slots with their inner ends disposed in the recesses, rollable means carried by the links adjacent their inner ends bearing on the bottom wall of the recesses, and means in said recesses to guide the movement of the rollable means from one end of the recesses to the other in the raising and lowering operation of the handle.

9. The combination of claim 8 wherein said rollable means includes a pin extending rotatably through the link.

10. The combination of claim 9 wherein said guide means includes longitudinal projections extending into the recesses and terminating adjacent the pins.

11. The combination of claim 10 and an indented portion in the top of the handgrip substantially coextensive therewith and a cover secured in said indented portion, the cover carrying the projections which extend into the recesses.

12. The combination of claim 11 and a second set of recesses between the ends of the handgrip and the firstnamed recesses, the second set of recesses opening through the bottom of the handgrip and dimensioned to receive and hide the attaching brackets and links when the handle is in its fully collapsed position.

13. The combination of claim 12 and means to preventoverturn of the handgrip in its raised position, said means including an edge at the outer end of the link terminating in an angulated corner, the bracket having a vertical slot opening through the top thereof having a bottom wall corresponding in shape to the edge of the link at its outer end and including an angulated corner coacting with the angulated corner of the link edge to retrain longitudinal movement outwardly of the handgrip relative to the attaching wall. 

1. A collapsible self-returning handle comprising an elongated handgrip having upper and lower faces, a first set of recesses adjacent the ends of the handgrip opening through the bottom face each having an upper wall portion, a second set of recesses adjacent the first recesses opening upwardly each including a bottom wall below the upper wall portion of the first set of recesses, longitudinal slots through the bottom wall of each of the second set of recesses, a pair of brackets secured to an attaching wall, elongated links having inner and outer ends, the outer ends being pivoted to the brackets around a horizontal axis, the inner ends extending through the longitudinal slots, rollable means carried by the inner ends of said links bearing on the inner faces of the bottom walls of the second set of recesses, and means in said second set of recesses above said rollable means to guide said rollable means so that, when the handgrip is raised, the rollable means will be adjacent the inner ends of the second set of recesses and, when the handgrip is lowered to its fully collapsed position, the rollable means will be adjacent the outer ends of the second set of recesses and the brackets and links will be received and hidden in the first set of recesses.
 2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said rollable means is a pin extending rotatably through each link adjacent its inner end.
 3. The combination of claim 2 wherein the length of the pin approximates the width of each recess of the second set of recesses.
 4. The combination of claim 2 wherein said guide means includes longitudinal projections extending into each recess of said second set of recesses whose length approximates the length of the recess.
 5. The combination of claim 1 and means to prevent the handgrip from overturning in its raised position.
 6. The combination of claim 5 wherein said means to prevent overturn includes an end edge at the outer end of each link including a rounded portion continuous with a straight portion which terminates in an angulated corner, each bracket including a vertical slot opening through the top thereof whose bottom wall conforms to the shape of the end edge of the outer end of the link, and a pin extending across the slot and rotatably through the link adjacent its outer end so that in the fully raised position of the handgrip the angulated corners of the end edge of the link and the bottom wall of the bracket slot abut and prevent further outward movement of the link.
 7. The combination of claim 1 wherein the ends of the longitudinal slots extend beyond each recess of the second set of recesses to form notches into which the inner ends of the link extend respectively in the raised and collapsed positions of the handgrip.
 8. A collapsible self-returning handle comprising an elongated handgrip having upper and lower faces, an upwardly opening recess formed therein spaced from each end of the handgrip having a generally vertical peripheral wall and a bottom wall, a longitudinal slot in the bottom wall, brackets secured to an attaching wall, links having inner and outer ends, the outer ends being pivoted to the brackets about horizontal axes, the links extending through the slots with their inner ends disposed in the recesses, rollable means carried by the links adjacent their inner ends bearing on the bottom wall of the recesses, and means in said recesses to guide the movement of the rollable means from one end of the recesses to the other in the raising and lowering operation of the handle.
 9. The combination of claim 8 wherein said rollable means includes a pin extending rotatably through the link.
 10. The combination of claim 9 wherein said guide means includes longitudinal projections extending into the recesses and terminating adjacent the pins.
 11. The combination of claim 10 and an indented portion in the top of the handgrip substantially coextensive therewith and a cover secured in said indented portIon, the cover carrying the projections which extend into the recesses.
 12. The combination of claim 11 and a second set of recesses between the ends of the handgrip and the firstnamed recesses, the second set of recesses opening through the bottom of the handgrip and dimensioned to receive and hide the attaching brackets and links when the handle is in its fully collapsed position.
 13. The combination of claim 12 and means to prevent overturn of the handgrip in its raised position, said means including an edge at the outer end of the link terminating in an angulated corner, the bracket having a vertical slot opening through the top thereof having a bottom wall corresponding in shape to the edge of the link at its outer end and including an angulated corner coacting with the angulated corner of the link edge to retrain longitudinal movement outwardly of the handgrip relative to the attaching wall. 